I dont know what happened to the Barbs, but this is a joke. Cant clear a dungeon boss, cant handle large groups well. HP does not seem anywhere near enough for how much damage is coming in. Rage was not enough to help as base attack damage is a JOKE!!! THe Barbs in prior games were always fun and how I always started. These Barbs are made of Paper by comparison. Skills and weapon limitations need to be looked at. Having to wait so long to get stomp, such slow movement, couldnt get out of my own way, let alone get out of a swarm. Poison spider in one of the Dungeons was what finally made me quit. Swarmed Poisoned, Potions No Help, couldnt catch the damn thing half the time. It was literally Kiting me as I have no way to make it stop. Stomp doesnt stun it. But it could sure Stick me with webs bomb me with Poison and swarm me under all at the same time. Was COMPLETELY UN FUN!!! Barbs are not supposed to be USELESS in MELEE COMBAT!!! Barbs are supposed to be TOUGH!!! UHM What happened. Really thinking about doing a return and waiting to see if anything changes at release. Its not like Blizzard will ever lower the price on D4 until at least right before you release D5 in another Decade!!!
The secret to success is don’t pick attacking skills. Pick all defensive, stack thorns, get hold of the aoe thorns aspect and slap it on a 2h wep to double it. Cycle those defensive skills and stand in as much damage as you can to maximise reflects and you’ll melt everything.
I’m playing barb on launch. I loved it. I was bored with how easy it was to level necro and sorc.
Having way more fun with my thorns barb then my unkillable necro to be honest. Probably going barb on launch.
its genuinely just you. My barb has been starting to hit things for 2k+ on lvl 15. if you dont know how to play or how to make your own builds, google some.
use defensive skills or play at world tier 1.
So basically: don’t have fun.
do you honestly want the spin to win meta back like in 3. i sure as hell dont want 1 class to rule them all. do you know of any other class that has more slots tha everyone ese. you can prob slap on a 400 % crit mofier per slot endgame.
I have two level 25 barbs now, and at level 25 with some legendaries I crush everything.
The earlier levels, and mobs that kite are not that fun.
If not much changes, what do you recommend for barb leveling build progression?
I rend I think it is called, whirlwind to stomp small mobs.
For my 4 skills, I use upheaval for bosses, challenging shout, invigorating shout and call of the ancients.
I also have alot of thorns, and use potions.
I am not an expert, and I have done zero research, but this works for me so far. 
Also binding dodge to the mouse, helps my slow reflexes. Timing a good dodge avoids alot of damage overall.
I discovered a strong build, take the lunge builder for mobility and rend as your spender (with the rage generation talent) and take the tanking talents for survivability. I died in HC at 15 still though due to getting chain CCed to death because of lagging for 1 second… lovely game this is for melee.
Ww Barb is one of the fastest clearers in the game. Leveling barb is kinda rough but other than that they great
Yeah up until level 20ish it feels kinda bad, and I worry a little, that we are going to be kicked in the nuts when we go into act two. Or it might be ok since everything scales.
Fingers crossed.
Blizzard has a pretty typical setup for their warrior archetypes.
They start off weak, they start to get more gear…
Then they get stronger… and stronger… and stronger… and stronger.
My level 25 barb is godlike.
Leveling was abit slowish and annoying vs bosses but was clearing grous no problem with basic gear.
Once i started gettinf legendaries that i could put together with my build it was so much fun and had no issues with any content.
Barbs are heavy on itemisation i think on how i progressed. I played fury with WW along with iron shout i think, leap and guardian of ancients.
My items i had that really made a difference was 40% chance to double cast with a mirror image of yourself WW and Leap which doubled my damage and area. Alonside other + buffs and skill increases it was great.
But only when i got the items. I understand legendaries find were increased in beta so having this ease on live wont happen more than likely unless lucky with my finds.
I went Frenzy on my main barb with double swing.
Felt kinda weak tho bosses really felt the damage when I got to full fury and I opened up on them with 4 hits from double strike.
Though I did reach a point where there was a boss that just chewed me to pieces until I picked up iron skin and I could last long enough in melee to do damage. Though I was running stomp, rallying cry, leap and charge. Very effective vs trash mobs, useless against tough boss mobs.
Thorns is the most boring build ever. I may as well play an idle game.
I recommend you watch these videos OP
Diablo 4 Upheaval Barbarian 100k+ Crits - One-Shot Everything - YouTube Upheaval
Diablo 4 Whirlwild Barbarian Speed Farming Dungeons - YouTube Whirlwind
I don’t think you necessarily need to be as decked out as him too. You probably will not clear as fast but it’s still going to be extremely impressive.
Here’s what I think:
Most people play the game and see 6 skill slots and start filling them up when in reality with the limited skill points we have in beta I’ve found most classes (except companion druid) are FAR better off picking a single non-basic skill and a defensive/support, then investing in the passives on the skill tree instead of MOAR SKILLS 2 FILL DA BAR.
Barbarian is a good example of this. I cleared the beta with Frenzy, Whirlwind (which I only used to proc vulnerable), battle cry and war cry. I swapped in Death Blow for Whirlwind for a bit and it was just as effective, maybe moreso.
Whirlwind was 1/5 and only had the passive that lets it gain fury.
Frenzy was maxed 5/5 with 2 passives.
Both my warcries were 1/5 and only battle cry had 1 passive (the one that grants unstoppable).
Every other skill point was in passives that increase damage or grant fortify or increase damage while fortified.
And the last piece of the puzzle: Legendary aspects. If you’ve got garbage aspects, then your character is going to feel bad to play, no matter what class or what skills.